The Puget Sound Regional Council received an award for outstanding achievement for its Transportation 2040 plan from the national Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO). AMPO honored PSRC with the 2010 Award for Outstanding Overall Achievement at its annual conference in St. Louis last month.

Lon Wyrick, President of AMPO, said that they were “very impressed with PSRC’s work.”

“We recognized the extensive public outreach that you did in the development of this plan, bringing in so many partners, not just citizens, but also the freight industry and business community in this planning process. Also, the focus on reducing vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gases within the region is excellent and was recognized. With all those elements in place, your plan stood out as a real example for the rest of the nation.”

Innovations and strengths of the plan highlighted by AMPO included:

“Transportation 2040 contains significant innovations that use transportation to shape a livable metropolitan region. The plan directly supports the region’s land use vision and it prioritizes projects that serve regional centers.

It increases the use of transit, biking, and walking and improves the balance between jobs and housing. It incorporates technology to improve mobility and reduce congestion in 12 smart corridors. It includes a specific four-part strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled.

The plan also builds on current efforts to protect natural areas and focus growth within livable communities. The plan’s financial strategy relies on traditional funding sources in early years and transitions over time to a new funding structure based on user fees and other pricing approaches that replace the gas tax.

Puget Sound Regional Council conducted extensive public outreach and involvement to develop this plan, including engagement with the freight and business communities. Implementation of Transportation 2040 will ensure the region’s communities are more sustainable and truly provide opportunities for improved quality of life."